The present invention relates to the production of usable energy whereby the weight and momentum of passing vehicles such as trains or cars and trucks actuates a pump mounted within the roadway or railway to compress air or pressurize hydraulic fluid in an output line or manifold. The high pressure fluid is then utilized to drive a device such as a fluid motor which converts the energy of the high pressure fluid into usable mechanical energy which in turn may be utilized to drive an electrical generator or the like.
With the increasing shortage in fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, other sources of energy must be tapped in order to meet industrial and residential requirements. One source of energy which has heretofore not been effectively exploited is the momentum and gravitational potential energy of moving vehicles such as cars, trucks, railroad trains, etc. As a train passes by a given point on a track, tremendous gravitational forces are exerted on the track by virtue of the load supported by each wheel. By utilizing this force to displace a small quantity of hydraulic fluid or a larger quantity of air or other suitable gas, extremely high pressures are generated which may in turn be used to drive a fluid motor coupled to an electric generator or to utilize the fluid in a heat pump or similar device. The high pressure fluid can very easily be transmitted to an industrial operation or to any number of homes through high pressure fluid lines without any substantial loss of pressure. Also, the energy may be utilized to assist in powering the vehicle itself in the case of a railroad train. This is particularly possible in the case where the high pressure fluid is used to generate electric power which may then be transmitted to the train by means of overhead lines or the like.
In order to maximize the power output of such a system, it is necessary that the piston and cylinder, diaphragm, etc. expand immediately after the vehicle wheel has passed thereover so that it can again be charged with the working fluid. In this manner, a large number of short pulses of high pressure fluid can be produced.